| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 98 (%) | Description: Portray and interpret roles, using speech, gestures, and body movements, to entertain, inform, or instruct radio, film, television, or live audiences. |
| Importance: 98 (%) | Description: Study and rehearse roles from scripts to interpret, learn and memorize lines, stunts, and cues as directed. |
| Importance: 98 (%) | Description: Learn about characters in scripts and their relationships to each other to develop role interpretations. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Attend auditions and casting calls to audition for roles. |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Work closely with directors, other actors, and playwrights to find the interpretation most suited to the role. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Collaborate with other actors as part of an ensemble. |
| Importance: 94 (%) | Description: Work with other crew members responsible for lighting, costumes, make-up, and props. |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Perform humorous and serious interpretations of emotions, actions, and situations, using body movements, facial expressions, and gestures. |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Sing or dance during dramatic or comedic performances. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Promote productions using means such as interviews about plays or movies. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Tell jokes, perform comic dances, songs and skits, impersonate mannerisms and voices of others, contort face, and use other devices to amuse audiences. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Read from scripts or books to narrate action or to inform or entertain audiences, utilizing few or no stage props. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Prepare and perform action stunts for motion picture, television, or stage productions. |
Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For visually creative people who want commercial design work, illustration, or both. Use the tools below to see which graphic design and illustration roles fit your background and goals.
This field rewards a strong portfolio over formal credentials, and splits between commercial design work and illustration/art-focused work. Use the tools below to explore Graphic Design and Illustration-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Junior Graphic Designer, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Art Director or Creative Director. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Adobe Certified Professional, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs, (2) Find Graphic Design and Illustration job listings, (3) Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration careers, and (4) Provide Graphic Design and Illustration career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Graphic Design and Illustration Careers - 2023 to 2033 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Graphic Design and Illustration careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Graphic Design and Illustration, so relevant Graphic Design and Illustration jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Graphic Design and Illustration Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Graphic Design and Illustration Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Graphic Design and Illustration careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 149 Graphic Design and Illustration Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
39 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2023 to 2033 est.). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2023-2033 (% change) | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
46 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 149 specific Graphic Design and Illustration job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Actors.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Actors
Description: Play parts in stage, television, radio, video, or film productions, or other settings for entertainment, information, or instruction. Interpret serious or comic role by speech, gesture, and body movement to entertain or inform audience. May dance and sing.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Actors":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
51,600U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
68,300
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
16,700 (32.4%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
8,200
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Introduce performances and performers to stimulate excitement and coordinate smooth transition of acts during events. |
| Importance: 53 (%) | Description: Write original or adapted material for dramas, comedies, puppet shows, narration, or other performances. |
| Importance: 49 (%) | Description: Perform original and stock tricks of illusion to entertain and mystify audiences, occasionally including audience members as participants. |
| Importance: 32 (%) | Description: Construct puppets and ventriloquist dummies, and sew accessory clothing, using hand tools and machines. |
| Importance: 31 (%) | Description: Dress in comical clown costumes and makeup, and perform comedy routines to entertain audiences. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 91 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 79 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Communicating with People Outside the Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Audition for roles. | |
| Collaborate with others to determine technical details of productions. | |
| Collaborate with others to prepare or perform artistic productions. | |
| Construct distinctive physical objects for artistic, functional, or commercial purposes. | |
| Entertain public with comedic or dramatic performances. | |
| Inform viewers, listeners, or audiences. | |
| Perform music for the public. | |
| Practice athletic or artistic skills. | |
| Promote products, activities, or organizations. | |
| Study scripts to determine project requirements. | |
| Write material for artistic or entertainment purposes. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 92 (%) | Description: Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Communications and Media: Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Sociology and Anthropology: Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Communicate with others about specifications or project details. |
| Activity: Create decorative objects or parts of objects. |
| Activity: Perform athletic activities for fitness, competition, or artistic purposes. |
| Activity: Present arts or entertainment performances. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Provide information or assistance to the public. |
| Activity: Study details of artistic productions. |
| Activity: Write material for artistic or commercial purposes. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Operating system software: |
| Linux |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Video conferencing software: |
| Zoom |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| TikTok |
| Web page creation and editing software: |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| FileMaker Pro |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Email software |
| Instant messaging software: |
| Internet browser software: |
| Web browser software |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| Apple Final Cut Pro Motion capture software YouTube |
| Web page creation and editing software: |
| Instagram Website development software |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 45.4 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 20.7 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 16.2 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 13.9 (%) | Level of Education: First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.8 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 54.2 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 31.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 6.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 8 years, up to and including 10 years |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Professional Associations
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE)
| |
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SAG-AFTRA
| |
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Actors". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Actors
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
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